Where to dine in Palermo?

We will have two dinners and one lunch in Palermo, Sicily following a cruise in mid-October. We're pretty certain that we want to have the lunch at Santandrea, near the Vucciria market and that we want to stop by Antica Focacceria di San Francessco to split a taste of Milza, the spleen and melted cheese sandwich that is a specialty of Palermo. What we need, however, are recommendations for our two dinners--preferrably restaurants serving authentic and traditional or modern versions of old standards near the center of the city where we've booked our hotel. We'll appreciate your help.

I had dinner at Santandrea last year and agree that it should be on your list...small place, must reserve. I would consult the Slowfood guide listings...many of these were closed when I was there over the May 1 holiday. You do not need to have a full meal at Focaceria SF, just have the visteddi sandwich and a few chick pea fritters. A place I liked a lot for traditional dishes with a bit of modern spin, in a contemporary setting, is Acanto Blu, near Politeama Theatre.